Texans poised to put franchise tag on Jadeveon Clowney,...

1of2In his first season with the Texans, safety Tyrann Mathieu was a team captain and Pro Bowl alternate.Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

2of2Jadeveon Clowney would be under no obligation to sign a franchise-tag tender soon, meaning he could skip offseason activities and training camp without penalty before doing so.Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The Texans are poised to designate Clowney as their franchise player before a Tuesday NFL deadline to use the $15.443 million linebacker tag, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.

Meanwhile, the Texans are making a push to try to lock up Mathieu with a new contract now that his one-year, $7 million contract has expired. No deal is imminent or close for the former Arizona Cardinals All-Pro selection, according to sources.

Mathieu, if he makes it to the open market, has also been linked to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise coached by his former Arizona coach, Bruce Arians, who hired former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to run his defense.

Mathieu was voted a Texans captain despite joining the team in March. He was forced to play a lot of nickel due to injuries at cornerback. Mathieu remained healthy and started every game, recording 89 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions, and he was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

At the NFL scouting combine Wednesday, coach Bill O’Brien said the team wants to retain Mathieu, 26.

“He’s a guy who meant a lot to our locker room,” O'Brien said. “He’s a good football player. He’s a smart football player. He’s a versatile player, but also what he meant leadership-wise in the locker room. There’s no doubt we would love to have Tyrann back.”

Although there has been dialogue between the Texans and Clowney’s agent, no deal will be reached at this time.

The Texans want to sign Clowney, 26, to a lucrative long-term contract extension, but no financial compromise is on the immediate horizon.

By making Clowney the franchise player, the Texans prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. It also buys the Texans time, giving them until a July 15 deadline to sign Clowney to a new contract. Otherwise, the former top overall pick from South Carolina would play this year under the franchise tag.

Clowney is expected to exercise his right to not sign the tender any time soon, according to sources. Under NFL collective bargaining agreement rules governing franchise players, they aren’t required to report for offseason activities, training camp or games until they sign the tender. Clowney would forfeit a $908,411 game check per week, if it comes to that point.

“It’s certainly an option,” general manager Brian Gaine said at the combine when asked about the franchise tag. “It’s not the priority, but it’s certainly an option.”

If the Texans sign Mathieu, veteran defensive back Kareem Jackson is considered likely to leave as a free agent. A former first-round pick from Alabama, Jackson was named a Pro Bowl alternate last season. His four-year, $34 million contract has expired.

Following a nine-year tenure with the AFC South franchise, Jackson wrote on social media he is probably not going to be back in response to a post.

“Not up to me my guy,” Jackson, 30, wrote. “It’s 99 percent chance I’ll be in different colors next year.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans beat writer for the Houston Chronicle, joining the paper in August 2015. He was a Baltimore Ravens beat writer from 2001 to 2015, working for The Baltimore Sun, including coverage of Super Bowl XLVII, the Ray Rice domestic violence case and the careers of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Jonathan Ogden, and previously covered the team for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.

This marks the second time the Washington, D.C. native has covered the AFC South, previously covering the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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